Carl Zimmer is a popular science writer, blogger, columnist, and journalist who specializes in the topics of evolution, parasites, and heredity. The author of many books, he contributes science essays to publications such as The New York Times, Discover, and National Geographic. He is a fellow at Yale University's Morse College and adjunct professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University. Zimmer also gives frequent lectures and has appeared on many radio shows, including National Public Radio's Radiolab, Fresh Air, and This American Life.
The giant freshwater stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in large rivers and estuaries in Southeast Asia and Borneo, though historically it may have been more widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The largest freshwater fish and the largest stingray in the world, this species grows up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft) across and can reach up to 300 kg (660 lb) in weight. It has a relatively thin, oval pectoral fin disc that is widest anteriorly, and a sharply pointed snout with a protruding tip. Its tail is thin and whip-like, and lacks fin folds. This species is uniformly grayish brown above and white below; the underside of the pectoral and pelvic fins bear distinctive wide, dark bands on their posterior margins.
Himantura is a genus of stingray in the family Dasyatidae that is native to the Indo-Pacific. In a 2016 taxonomic revision, many of the species formerly assigned to Himantura were reassigned to other genera.
Arthroleptis zimmeri, also known as Zimmer's screeching frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is endemic to Ghana, and is known only from its type locality in Accra. The specific name zimmeri honours Carl Wilhelm Erich Zimmer, a German zoologist.
Oreophryne zimmeri is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae, although there is doubt whether it really is an Oreophryne. It is endemic to Sulawesi (Indonesia) and known from its type locality in the Mengkoka Mountains, southeastern Sulawesi, and from another record from South Sulawesi. The specific name zimmeri honours Carl Wilhelm Erich Zimmer, a German zoologist. Common name Zimmer's cross frog has been proposed for it.
Pseudophilautus zimmeri is an extinct species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It was endemic to Sri Lanka, where it was recorded from the vicinity of Galle. It is only known from the holotype that was used to describe the species in 1927. The specific name zimmeri honours Carl Wilhelm Erich Zimmer, a German zoologist. Common name Rumassala shrub frog has been coined for it.
The porcupine ray is a rare species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. This bottom-dweller is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, as well as off West Africa. It favors sand, coral rubble, and seagrass habitats in inshore waters to a depth of 30 m (100 ft). A large and heavy-bodied species reaching 1.2–1.5 m (3.9–4.9 ft) in width, the porcupine ray has a nearly circular, plain-colored pectoral fin disc and a thin tail without any fin folds. Uniquely within its family, it lacks a venomous stinging spine. However, an adult ray can still defend itself ably with the many large, sharp thorns found over its disc and tail.
Urogymnus is a genus of stingrays in the family Dasyatidae from marine, brackish and freshwater habitats in the Indo-Pacific and tropical East Atlantic regions. The genus was previously considered to be monotypic, containing only the porcupine ray. Molecular phylogenetic research published in 2016 reassigned several species from Himantura to Urogymnus.
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes.
The mangrove whipray or whitetail stingray, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea to northern Australia and Micronesia. A benthic inhabitant of shallow inshore waters, juvenile mangrove whiprays favor mangrove and estuarine habitats, while adults favor sandy to rocky areas in lagoons and coral reefs. This species can be identified by its thick, oval pectoral fin disc that is dark gray above with numerous white flecks, and by its relatively short, whip-like tail that is white past the stinging spine. It grows up to 1.4 m (4.6 ft) across.
The pink whipray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, with a wide but ill-defined distribution in the tropical Indo-Pacific from southern Africa to Polynesia. It is a bottom dweller that generally inhabits shallow water under 70 m (230 ft) deep, in sandy areas associated with coral reefs. Individuals exhibit a high degree of fidelity to particular locations. The pink whipray has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc wider than long, with a broad-angled snout and a very long, whip-like tail without fin folds. It has only a few small thorns on its back and is uniform brownish to grayish pink in color, becoming much darker past the tail sting. This large ray can reach 1.8 m (5.9 ft) across and over 5 m (16 ft) long.
The Jenkins' whipray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, with a wide distribution in the Indo-Pacific region from South Africa to the Malay Archipelago to northern Australia. This large species grows to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) across and has a broad, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and a whip-like tail without fin folds. It has a band of heart-shaped dermal denticles running from between the eyes to the tail on its upper surface, along with a characteristic row of large spear-like thorns along the midline. It is uniform yellowish brown above, becoming grayish on the tail past the stinging spine, and white below; there is apparently a spotted color variant that had previously been described as a different species, the dragon stingray.
The freshwater whipray is a little-known species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found in a number of large rivers and associated estuaries in northern Australia. Until recently, this species was regarded as a regional subpopulation of the similar-looking but much larger giant freshwater stingray of Southeast Asia. Typically reaching 1 m (3.3 ft) across, the freshwater whipray has a distinctively shaped, rounded pectoral fin disc, a projecting snout, and a thin tail without fin folds. It is plain brown above and white below with dark marginal bands. It may occasionally travel onto land and can "breathe" out of water for up to 7 minutes. The freshwater whipray is an active hunter of small fishes and shrimps, and does not currently face substantial conservation threats.
The brown whipray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, common in inshore, muddy habitats along the northern coast of Australia. It has often been confused in literature for the honeycomb stingray and the black-spotted whipray, which until recently was thought to be the same species. This species has an angular, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc and a long, very thin tail without fin folds. It is plain brown above, sometimes with white dots or flecks near the edge of the disc, and white below; the tail is dark all over, with alternating dark and light bands near the tip. The maximum recorded disc width is 74 cm (29 in).
The blackedge whipray is a little-known species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found in the coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Mannar. Attaining a disc width of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), this species has a diamond-shaped disc with two small concavities on either side of the snout tip, and a long, whip-like tail without tail folds. It is characterized by large thorns with star-shaped bases scattered over the disc, and by the wide, black marginal bands on the underside of the disc. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lacks sufficient data to assess the blackedge whipray beyond Data Deficient.
The leopard whipray is a little-known species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from the Andaman Sea to the Coral Triangle. It is found close to shore at depths shallower than 70 m (230 ft), over soft substrates. Attaining a width of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), this species has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc with a pointed snout and an extremely long, whip-like tail without fin folds. Adult rays have a leopard-like dorsal pattern of dark brown rings on a yellowish brown background, as well as a row of enlarged, heart-shaped dermal denticles along the midline of the disc. Newborns and small juveniles have large, solid dark spots and few denticles. The leopard whipray is caught by fisheries in many parts of its range, primarily for meat.
Acanthobothrium bullardi is a species of parasitic onchobothriid tapeworm first found in the whiptail stingray, Dasyatis brevis, in the Gulf of California. This species of parasitic tapeworm was originally discovered alongside four other varieties of tapeworms in the Gulf of California during a survey of the area that was done in the years 1993 as well as 1996. Information on this discovery can be found in greater detail in the article written by Sohini Ghoshroy and J.N. Caira titled "Four New Species of Acanthobothrium from the Whiptail Stingray Dasyatis Brevis in the Gulf of California, Mexico". This article claims itself as the first document with record on these tapeworms in California. Although this particular variety has only been discovered on the bodies of whiptail stingray, other Acanthobothrium species have been found on the bodies of many more animals including sharks. This is described in the article written by Caroline Fyler titled "Systematics, biogeography and character evolution in the tapeworm genus Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1850 ".
Acanthobothrium dasi is a species of parasitic onchobothriid tapeworms first found in the whiptail stingray, Dasyatis brevis, in the Gulf of California. It is relatively small, possesses few segments, relatively few testes, and shows asymmetrical ovaries. It also differs from its cogenerate species by its hook size and length of its hook prongs; cirrus sac size; the position of its genital pore, the number of testes columns that are anterior to the cirrus sac; as well as a number of postvaginal testes.
Acanthobothrium rajivi is a species of parasitic onchobothriid tapeworm first found in the whiptail stingray, Dasyatis brevis, in the Gulf of California. It is relatively small, possesses few segments, relatively few testes, and shows asymmetrical ovaries. It also differs from its cogenerate species by its hook size and length of its hook prongs; cirrus sac size; the position of its genital pore, the number of testes columns that are anterior to the cirrus sac; as well as a number of postvaginal testes.
The mumburarr whipray is a species of whipray from northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea, described in 2016.
